SAN DIEGO ---- Long on promise, sleek and speedy Antwan Applewhite has a chance to become the sack artist the San Diego State defense desperately needs.

But August has been a month in which the sophomore has frequently missed practices. Studying intricate football details has taken second fiddle to making sure he is making the grade in his academic endeavors.

"I know what I have to do," Applewhite said recently. "I have to go to class, and I have to be a student-athlete. That's what I do. I go to class and then I come to practice. I handle my school business first and then I see where I fit in this defense."